Presented by Elizabeth Limbrick, Director of Brownfields & Sustainable Systems, NJ Economic Development Authority
Ms. Limbrick will discuss the current status of funding from the HDSRF, Brownfield Redevelopment Incentive Program, Brownfields Impact Fund and USEPA Brownfield Planning and Assessment Services, while discussing eligibility and “what is the ideal project.”
Excellent insight for LSRPs looking for client funding, as well as PRCR ability to ask questions about available funds.
Turning Old Dirt Into New Value: 2023 Funding Playbook for New Jersey Brownfields
Recap of the May 2023 CPES “Hot Topic” conversation with Elizabeth Limbrick – Director, Brownfields & Sustainable Systems, NJ Economic Development Authority
The Big Picture
Cleaning up and re-using contaminated sites is now central to New Jersey’s broader goals: closing wealth gaps, creating climate-resilient neighbourhoods and unlocking private investment.
To make that happen the NJ EDA has assembled four complementary pots of money—each aimed at a different stage of the redevelopment timeline.
| Stage of work | Programme | What it pays for | Typical applicant | $ available / terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early due-diligence & visioning | EPA Brownfield Planning & Assessment Services (EDA-managed) | Phase I/Phase II (PA/SI), focused SI or RI tasks, community engagement, conceptual reuse plans | Municipalities, counties, non-profits – and private owners if EDA is not a Spill-Act RP | Free. EDA’s on-call consultants do the work; you supply site access + liability waiver |
| Investigation & design | HDSRF grants / loans (DEP + EDA) | PA/SI, RI, RAWP prep; limited remedial construction for public entities & BDAs | Municipalities, redevelopment agencies; some private RPs for loans | Up to $3 M per project (assessment) or $5 M per BDA town; 25–75 % match for RA grants |
| Gap-filling cleanup money | Brownfields Impact Fund (EPA revolving-loan dollars) | “Shovel-in-ground” remedial action costs (soil removal, capping, engineering controls) | Public or private borrowers | Loans ≤ $350 k, 1 – 2 % interest, 20-yr term, no payments first 4 yrs |
| Large-scale remediation tied to redevelopment | Brownfield Redevelopment Incentive (BRI) tax credit | Up to 60 % of eligible cleanup & demo costs (asbestos, LBP, utility relocation, etc.) | Developers, municipalities, non-profits—not the polluter of record | $300 M statewide pool. One-time transferable tax credit: 50 % of costs (max $4 M) or higher caps in Government-Restricted or QI tracts |
Five Take-Home Rules for LSRPs & Project Teams
- Do your PA/SI before you close.
A pre-purchase administrative consent order (ACO) with DEP preserves your client’s eligibility for the BRI credit. - Public–private pairings still win.
A municipality (or redevelopment authority) can draw HDSRF grant dollars for investigation and use a private partner’s cash (or loan) to meet the match—then hand the site back for vertical construction. - Think beyond “plain remediation.”
BRI covers demolition, asbestos abatement, lead paint, site-prep utilities—costs that rarely qualify elsewhere. That’s why many deals will apply just for the cleanup portion even if the buildings follow. - Environmental-justice tracts get a bump.
Projects in Government-Restricted Municipalities (Patterson, Trenton, Atlantic City) or in Qualified Incentive Tracts can claim higher BRI caps. EJ metrics and community-engagement scores also boost competitive applications. - EDA’s consultants = faster due-diligence.
Need a Phase I+II during a 90-day option period? File the on-line expression-of-interest; if eligible, EDA’s pre-hired team does the work—no municipal procurement delay.
What Makes an “Ideal” Project?
Elizabeth Limbrick laid out her short-list:
- Clear end-use that aligns with local master-plans—housing near transit, green manufacturing, logistics reuse or community solar.
- Documented economic upside: permanent jobs, increased ratables, or a catalytic effect on neighbouring parcels.
- No entanglement with the original polluter (or a legally tight liability waiver/ACO if there is).
- Visible community support—council resolutions, EJ group letters, or CCI (Community Collaborative Initiative) engagement.
Your Next Steps
- Screen the site. Use DEP DataMiner, historic aerials and Sanborns to flag likely contamination and check whether it sits in a BDA, QI tract or Government-Restricted town.
- Call EDA early. Limbrick’s team vets eligibility scenarios (elimbrick@njeda.com). A five-minute call can save months of redesign.
- Stack the capital. Map which dollars fit which phase: free EPA assessment → HDSRF RI grant → Impact Fund loan for RA → BRI tax credit to close the final gap.
- Watch for the BRI launch. The application portal and scoring matrix are expected summer 2023. Assemble cost documentation now (bid tabs, quantity take-offs, prevailing-wage schedules).
Redeveloping a brownfield in New Jersey still takes technical stamina and regulatory chess. But with $300 million in new credits, low-interest cleanup loans and free assessment help, the money side just got a lot easier.
Resources
- BRI fact-sheet & QR code: njeda.gov/brownfields
- DEP/EDA HDSRF guidance: nj.gov/dep/brownfields/hdsrf
- Brownfield Roundtable recordings: dep.nj.gov/brownfields/roundtables